1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is related to a runner and skate blade and, in particular, to a runner and skate blade in which the runner is formed by insert injection molding.
2. Related Art
Ice skating encompasses several sports including ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, ice dancing, and exhibition skating, each of which may use slightly different ice skates that have been developed in response to the different requirements for each sport. Traditional ice skate construction includes a leather laced boot supported by a steel skate blade. xe2x80x9cSkate blade,xe2x80x9d as used herein, refers to the entire assembly of the bridge components and the runner. xe2x80x9cBridge,xe2x80x9d as used herein, refers to the entire assembly attached to the runner and which attaches the runner to the boot.
The runner of a skate blade is generally formed from hardened steel which is able to withstand the forces encountered during each ice skating sport. xe2x80x9cRunner,xe2x80x9d as used herein, refers to that portion of the ice skate in contact with the ice. Experienced and/or professional skaters generally develop a preference for a particular contour or profile of the bottom edge of the runner, which contacts the ice. Therefore, runners must be able to withstand periodic contouring according to the preferences of each skater. In addition, runners typically require periodic sharpening to maintain a sharp edge, which maintains its glide characteristics. Both sharpening and contouring involve removing a portion of the steel from which the runner is formed. The amount of material removed may vary substantially based on the condition of the runner and the force used when the runner is sharpened. Thus, runners eventually wear out and must be replaced after repeated sharpening and/or contouring.
Over time, much attention has been given to reducing the overall weight of ice skates in general, regardless of the sport in which they are used. Some improvements related to reducing the overall weight of ice skates have involved replacing the materials of construction with newer, more lightweight materials as they are developed. For example, some improvements have been related to replacing leather components with more lightweight man-made materials such as plastic.
One improvement involved replacing a portion of the steel skate blade with a plastic bridge while attaching a steel runner to the runner holder portion of the bridge. xe2x80x9cRunner holder,xe2x80x9d as used herein, refers to that portion of the bridge which is attached to the upper part of the runner and provides rigidity to the runner. In addition to the advantages of weight reduction, another advantage of a skate blade comprising a plastic bridge and steel runner is that the runner can be removed for sharpening, contouring, and/or replacement.
Many commercially available ice skates include such skate blades, variations of which are available under product names such as Tuuk(trademark) (available from Nike-Bauer), Crow(trademark), Prolite(trademark) (available from CCM), Cobra(trademark) (available from Graf), as well as others from manufacturers such as Mission and Easton. Typically, such commercially available plastic bridges include at least two spaced apart fastening apertures into which the steel runner may be attached using well known fasteners.
Although steel has been the most widely used material for runners, it remains one of the heavier components of an ice skate. Thus, more recent attempts to reduce the overall weight of an ice skate have focused on decreasing the weight of the runner itself. One attempt involved providing a plurality of apertures in the runner, as in the Bauer Vapor ice skate (available from Tuuk), and the Nike Quest ice skate.
Other attempts to reduce the weight of the skate blade involved applying a relatively thin strip of steel to the bridge, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,156 to Cann et al. and as in the T""Blade(trademark) ice skate (disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,434 to Wxc3xcrthner) and Rebellion(trademark) ice skates. Because the steel strip on such ice skates is relatively thin, the runner cannot be sharpened or contoured according to the preferences of individual skaters.
Any improvement relating to reducing the weight of ice skates or components of ice skates which allows for sharpening and contouring is desirable.